Women, children getting legal aid for free at NLASO

COMILLA, Oct 12: Rustom used to beat his wife Pervin
out of rage over petty things. Pervin remained mum
for long, but enough is enough. She filed a case
against Rustom for torturing with Women and Children
Repression Prevention Tribunal and with family court
in Comilla seeking divorce.
But Rustom seems to understood his mistakes and
wasn't ready to let Pervin go off his life. He tried
to convince Pervin, when failed; both of them went to
Comilla office of National Legal Aid Services
Organization (NLASO) and by the mediation of the
official, both of them agreed to give it another
chance, reports BSS.
They agreed to continue their conjugal life for
another three months. If both the parties fulfill
their conditions accordingly in this period, Pervin
assured that she will withdraw her cases.
Such cases are becoming very common, where people,
especially women are knocking on the doors of law to
get justice for free. Government through its
different organizations including NLASO has provided
legal assistance at its cost to 3, 00,598 people from
2009 to March, 2018.
"Of these, only NLASO has provided legal aid to 2,
01,125 people. Of those, 1, 03,154 were women, 97,442
were men and 529 were children. We have been able to
help realizing Taka 8, 35, 09,454 peacefully through
mediation and provided legal assistance to 6,915
people through pre-case and post-case dispute
resolution from July, 2015, to March, 2018," Law
Minister Anisul Huq told BSS.
Under NLASO, people can avail free legal advice,
mediation between two parties over solvable disputes,
conciliation in cases sent from the court, supplying
vakalatnama for free, appointing lawyers to carry out
cases, paying lawyers' fee, paying honorarium to
mediators, supplying copies of verdict or order for
free and paying expenses for DNA tests, among others.
The district legal aid offices give legal assistances
both over criminal and civil offences like marrying
again without the permission of first wife, torturing
wife, demanding dowry or torturing for dowry,
throwing acid, trafficking, abduction, rape and
illegal confinement by law enforcers.
Apart from these, the government on April 28, 2016,
launched toll-free national helpline 16430 for
providing legal aid to people.
According to ministry sources, a total of 9, 887
women got legal aid over phone by dialing the
helpline till September, 2018.